Your guide to finding educational opportunities at Walt Disney World.

Downtown Disney is a great place for shopping and dining with the whole family. But you may not know there are some hidden learning opportunities here, too!

Earl of Sandwich is one of the most popular locations to grab a quick bite to eat. The dining room is almost always bustling. But head to the left of the order line, toward the connecting doorway into Mickey’s Pantry, and you’ll come upon a quieter corner with barstool seating.

This spot also boasts some interesting artifacts. The walls are decorated with maps and sketches of Captain James Cook’s travels to Polynesia, including the Sandwich Islands. (Now you understand the connection.) Placards help describe the routes he took, and sketches of his ships give you an idea of how they were designed. There is even a model of the HMS Endeavour, the first ship Cook sailed on his Voyage of Discovery to Australia and New Zealand.

A portrait of James Cook and historical information about the Earls of Sandwich round out the presentation. Anyone interested in sailing or engineering will appreciate this bit of history.